CHECKLIST OF ALASKA BIRDS 17th edition—2011 As of 1 January 2011 the list of avian taxa known in Alaska included 492 naturally- occurring species in 64 families and 20 orders. The following checklist is based primarily on archived specimens, but includes some species known only from (archived) photos, videotapes, or audio recordings. Phylogenetic sequence, limits of orders and families, and English and scientific names follow The A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds (7th ed., American Ornithologists’ Union 1998) and supplements (through 2010). An appended “unsubstantiated” list comprises an additional 24 species attributed to Alaska without specimen or photo substantiation. KEY TO SYMBOLS: RARE (Annual or possibly annual in small numbers; most such species occur at the perimeter of Alaska, in season; a few are scarce residents) CASUAL (Not annual; these species are beyond the periphery of annual range, but recur in Alaska at irregular intervals, usually in seasonal and regional patterns) ACCIDENTAL (One or two Alaska records) Order ANSERIFORMES—Family Anatidae: Ducks, Geese, & Swans _____Taiga Bean-Goose Anser fabalis _____Tundra Bean-Goose Anser serrirostris _____Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons _____Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus _____Emperor Goose Chen canagica _____Snow Goose Chen caerulescens _____Ross’s Goose Chen rossii _____Brant Branta bernicla _____Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii _____Canada Goose Branta canadensis _____Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator _____Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus _____Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus _____Wood Duck Aix sponsa _____Gadwall Anas strepera _____Falcated Duck Anas falcata _____Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope _____American Wigeon Anas americana _____American Black Duck Anas rubripes _____Mallard Anas platyrhynchos _____Eastern Spot-billed Duck Anas zonorhyncha _____Blue-winged Teal Anas discors _____Cinnamon Teal Anas cyanoptera _____Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata _____Northern Pintail Anas acuta _____Garganey Anas querquedula _____Baikal Teal Anas formosa _____Green-winged Teal Anas crecca _____Canvasback Aythya valisineria _____Redhead Aythya americana _____Common Pochard Aythya ferina _____Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris _____Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula _____Greater Scaup Aythya marila _____Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis _____Steller’s Eider Polysticta stelleri _____Spectacled Eider Somateria fischeri _____King Eider Somateria spectabilis _____Common Eider Somateria mollissima _____Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus _____Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata _____White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca _____Black Scoter Melanitta americana _____Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis _____Bufflehead Bucephala albeola _____Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula _____Barrow’s Goldeneye Bucephala islandica _____Smew Mergellus albellus _____Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus _____Common Merganser Mergus merganser _____Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator _____Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Order GALLIFORMES—Family Phasianidae: Grouse _____Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus _____Spruce Grouse Falcipennis canadensis _____Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus _____Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta _____White-tailed Ptarmigan Lagopus leucura _____Sooty Grouse Dendragapus fuliginosus _____Sharp-tailed Grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus Order GAVIIFORMES—Family Gaviidae: Loons _____Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata _____Arctic Loon Gavia arctica _____Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica _____Common Loon Gavia immer _____Yellow-billed Loon Gavia adamsii Order PODICIPEDIFORMES—Family Podicipedidae: Grebes _____Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps _____Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus _____Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena _____Eared Grebe Podiceps nigricollis _____Western Grebe Aechmophorus occidentalis Order PROCELLARIIFORMES —Family Diomedeidae: Albatrosses _____Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta _____Laysan Albatross Phoebastria immutabilis _____Black-footed Albatross Phoebastria nigripes _____Short-tailed Albatross Phoebastria albatrus —Family Procellariidae: Shearwaters and Petrels _____Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis _____Mottled Petrel Pterodroma inexpectata _____Cook’s Petrel Pterodroma cookii _____Pink-footed Shearwater Puffinus creatopus _____Great Shearwater Puffinus gravis _____Buller’s Shearwater Puffinus bulleri _____Sooty Shearwater Puffinus griseus _____Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris _____Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus —Family Hydrobatidae: Storm-Petrels _____Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma furcata _____Leach’s Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa Order SULIFORMES —Family Fregatidae: Frigatebirds _____Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens —Family Phalacrocoracidae: Cormorants _____Brandt’s Cormorant Phalacrocorax penicillatus _____Double-crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus _____Red-faced Cormorant Phalacrocorax urile _____Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus Order PELECANIFORMES —Family Pelecanidae: Pelicans _____American White Pelican Pelecanus erythrorhynchos _____Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis —Family Ardeidae: Herons, Bitterns, and Allies _____American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus _____Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis _____Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias _____Gray Heron Ardea cinerea _____Great Egret Ardea alba _____Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia _____Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes _____Little Egret Egretta garzetta _____Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor _____Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis _____Chinese Pond-Heron Ardeola bacchus _____Green Heron Butorides virescens _____Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Order ACCIPITRIFORMES —Family Cathartidae: New World Vultures _____Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura —Family Pandionidae: Ospreys _____Osprey Pandion haliaetus —Family Accipitridae: Hawks, Eagles, & Allies _____Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus _____White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla _____Steller’s Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus pelagicus _____Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus _____Sharp-shinned Hawk Accipiter striatus _____Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis _____Swainson’s Hawk Buteo swainsoni _____Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis _____Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus _____Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos Order FALCONIFORMES—Family Falconidae: Falcons _____Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus _____American Kestrel Falco sparverius _____Merlin Falco columbarius _____Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo _____Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus _____Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus Order GRUIFORMES —Family Rallidae: Rails and Coots _____Virginia Rail Rallus limicola _____Sora Porzana carolina _____Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus _____Eurasian Coot Fulica atra _____American Coot Fulica americana —Family Gruidae: Cranes _____Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis _____Common Crane Grus grus Order CHARADRIIFORMES —Family Charadriidae: Lapwings and Plovers _____Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus _____Black-bellied Plover Pluvialis squatarola _____European Golden-Plover Pluvialis apricaria _____American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica _____Pacific Golden-Plover Pluvialis fulva _____Lesser Sand-Plover Charadrius mongolus _____Snowy Plover Charadrius alexandrinus _____Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula _____Semipalmated Plover Charadrius semipalmatus _____Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius _____Killdeer Charadrius vociferus _____Eurasian Dotterel Charadrius morinellus —Family Haematopodidae: Oystercatchers _____Black Oystercatcher Haematopus bachmani —Family Recurvirostridae: Stilts and Avocets _____Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus _____American Avocet Recurvirostra americana —Family Scolopacidae: Sandpipers, Phalaropes, & Allies _____Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus _____Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos _____Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius _____Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus _____Solitary Sandpiper Tringa solitaria _____Gray-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes _____Wandering Tattler Tringa incana _____Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus _____Greater Yellowlegs Tringa melanoleuca _____Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia _____Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes _____Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis _____Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola _____Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda _____Little Curlew Numenius minutus _____Eskimo Curlew Numenius borealis not since 1886 _____Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus _____Bristle-thighed Curlew Numenius tahitiensis _____Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis _____Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa _____Hudsonian Godwit Limosa haemastica _____Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica _____Marbled Godwit Limosa fedoa _____Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres _____Black Turnstone Arenaria melanocephala _____Surfbird Aphriza virgata _____Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris _____Red Knot Calidris canutus _____Sanderling Calidris alba _____Semipalmated Sandpiper Calidris pusilla _____Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri _____Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis _____Little Stint Calidris minuta _____Temminck’s Stint Calidris temminckii _____Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta _____Least Sandpiper Calidris minutilla _____White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis _____Baird’s Sandpiper Calidris bairdii _____Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos _____Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata _____Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima _____Rock Sandpiper Calidris ptilocnemis _____Dunlin Calidris alpina _____Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea _____Stilt Sandpiper Calidris himantopus _____Spoon-billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus pygmeus _____Broad-billed